Reaching for Inclusive, Successful Education & Employment (RISE)
RISE would not be possible without funding from the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Skills Strategy.
We can help! Apply for RISE today:
For anyone applying on their smartphone, please fill out our application form here.
Program Details
- 26-week paid transition program
- As a RISE team member you will:
- Gain employability skills through workshops
- Put what you've learned into practice through community work experience
- Explore careers that are based on your skills & interests
- Receive on-the-job coaching so you can succeed
- Finish RISE with a job placement that works for you & will lead you to employment
- And so much more!
Our Fall 2023 intake is currently full
Success Story: Rising up through ILNS pre-employment, transitional programming, and beyond
Through our pre-employment and transition to employment programming, youth with disabilities gain skills and experience to connect with their communities through volunteerism, employment, and other learning experiences.
To say Isai Estey has a lot on the go is an understatement: from starting at Mount Saint Vincent University’s (MSVU) MountAbility program in September and successfully completing ILNS’ transition to employment program, RISE, this October, which also involved a community work placement, this ILNS consumer is going places!
“I just finished working at Bethany United Church, and I am at school studying computers and taking information technology fundamentals,” Isai says. “I would also like to [continue] volunteering at the church while completing my studies.”
Through RISE, participants learn various employability skills while also gaining work experience in positions they want to excel at, which in Isai’s case is computer technology.
“My experience with Bethany United Church was good,” Isai mentioned. “I did some data entry work and updated their website, calendar, and the church’s outdoor digital sign. I also learned to be on time, dress nice, and listen to what staff asks you to do.”
ILNS Community Access and RISE programming provide participants with resources and support to reach their personal and professional goals.
“We want to make sure our participants gain the knowledge and experience through different activities and interventions, so they are successful in reaching their independent living goals, whatever those look like to them,” ILNS Program Manager Kayla Cavanaugh says. “We complete a lot of work around employability skills development like time management, attitude, presentation, and accountability, to name a few. Participants also engage in interactive social and life skills activities.”
Program staff also take a person-centered approach, so each participant gets the most out of their time in programming and is also successful after they complete it.
“As we get to know each participant and work with them, they open up about their interests, career goals, and more,” Program Facilitator Hailey MacInnis says. “If they want to gain specific skills or experience in a certain volunteer or work environment, we make sure to find that for them. We also want to ensure that they are connected to the community and have the resources they need, so they successfully transition into volunteer, employment, or further training opportunities.”
Overall, the possibilities are endless regarding being connected in the community; however that looks for participants.
“In CAP, I learned how to build up a resume for a job, and in RISE, I learned how to do an interview the right way,” Isai says. “I also liked doing the escape room during CAP, and I really like going to work.”
Testimonials:
"I really liked RISE. It helped me a lot. I look forward to the future ahead of me."
"I learned how to work with others in different ways while on the job."
"Through RISE I enjoyed working in a group and using teamwork to get things done."
"I'll bring more confidence to my job as I feel it has gotten better through RISE."
